When you search the Internet for “Ohio O Zone”, the first page of results lists information about environmental protection, a zip line action program and a blog site about that school in Columbus.
When you flip past the high-flying adventures and global warming glorification, you get to the O Zone you’re looking for, though. The one known for player-jeering, Bobcat cheering and everything in between.
But there’s a reason our O Zone isn’t the top “hit” of its kind in Ohio — historically, it isn’t a big enough hit in Athens.
The Bobcats gave their faithful plenty of reasons to put their hands up in the air in 2011-12, arguably the best athletic year the Bobcats have ever had.
If there’s ever a time to further student interaction, it’s the 2012-13 season.
The O Zone “blacked out” Peden Stadium in November, when Ohio hosted Temple and the first ESPN crew that ever visited Athens. It put on almost as good of a show as the Bobcats, who ran away with a four-point victory that left the O Zone pulsing.
After the game, the crew was already talking about its return trip to Athens, the regular season finale against Miami, known as “The Battle of the Bricks.”
When the Bobcats return to the gridiron in their season opener against Penn State, Ohio fans will be able to tune in on national TV — the team’s sixth-straight appearance on the ESPN family of networks.
The Bobcat faithful was just as active during basketball season, which was highlighted with more than 13,000 fans packed in The Convo for “Gary Trent Day.”
After Ohio’s win against Miami, the O Zone rushed the floor, ringing out its infamous “winning team, losing team” chant before the RedHawks had completely escaped to their locker room.
That was hardly the climax of Bobcat fan interaction, though. The green and white rocked both Bridgestone Arena in Nashville and the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis during Ohio’s Sweet 16 run.
And even though the stands were peppered with Carolina blue, North Carolina State red and Kansas navy, the Bobcats’ storybook run ended with the majority of the near-30,000 crowd rooting them on.
The Bobcats converted them: now they just need you.
jr992810@ohiou.edu
